As Long as I Have You
by evilqueenmayor731
Summary: One-shot set a few days after the season 3 finale. Just when Regina thinks she's broken, she gets a reminder that love comes in many forms.


"Come in," Regina replied to the knock on her office door. She'd been there since early in the morning, occupying herself with town business to keep her mind off of the prior night's events. She looked up as the door opened, and her heart sank. The very person she was avoiding had found her.

"I've been calling you. Why haven't been answering?" Robin asked, entering the room and closing the door behind him.

_My battery died. I left my phone at home._ All of the standard excuses seemed flimsy as she looked at him, standing there looking confused and forlorn. She stood and stepped out from behind the desk, stopping just in front of it.

"I've been busy. Towns don't run themselves." Even as she spoke the words she knew he would see through them. He knew her too well.

"Well, you're here now, so if you want to talk, go right ahead." She struggled to keep her composure, and being in her office helped. She focused on keeping her mind in professional mode, even though all she wanted to do was run into his arms. She gestured for him to sit. Instead he took several steps toward her. She moved backwards, away from him, until her legs hit the desk. He stopped, and she could see the hurt in his eyes. She couldn't help herself – she had to put distance between them. Her walls were already going back up. One touch from him and all would be lost.

"This thing with Marian. We need to talk about it. What it means…for us." He felt as lost as he had the day he thought Marian had perished. He'd never imagined that having her back would be just as difficult. Now, no matter which way he turned, there would be heartbreak.

Regina's face remained cool and calm, but her eyes were already misting over. She feared where the conversation would end. She felt certain she already knew. Villains don't get happy endings.

"And what does it mean? She is your wife and Roland's mother. You've got her back and you didn't have to walk through hell to do it." She stopped to take a deep breath and steady herself before a shake in her voice could betray how fragile she felt. "We've only just started seeing one another." She was saving him the trouble of having to say everything that would break her. She could not tell if he was relieved by that – all she could see in his face was confusion.

"Yes, she is. And yes, we have. But I mourned her and I moved on. I don't know for certain what having her back means." Even with the uncertainty of their situation, Regina trusted him to tell her the truth. She could feel the sincerity in his words.

"She and I have discussed it and we think it's best if we take Roland and go away for a while, as a family. I owe it to him." He wanted to go to Regina, to hold her in his arms and tell her that the love he had for her still burned as brightly as before – but he couldn't. It would only make leaving more difficult.

"I understand," she replied, and he knew that she did in a way that nobody else could. She had felt the same loss he had. If her Daniel had returned, wouldn't she react the same as he was?

He moved closer and reached for her hand. She pulled it away, fearing that with his touch her façade would crumble. He lowered his eyes and nodded before turning and walking to the door. He opened it slowly, and she held her breath.

"This is not goodbye," he said over his shoulder before hurriedly leaving the room, rushing down the stairs and out the front door. He walked quickly down the sidewalk, nearly running into Henry and his grandparents on his way back to his family.

Regina walked quickly to the door and closed it. Turning around she leaned against it, needing its solid strength to hold her up. Her lip quivered and tears fell down her cheeks. One hand rose to her center, shaking, as if it would make her breaking heart stop hurting. She bent slightly forward, silent sobs shaking her shoulders. It was happening again. The love she'd longed for was being taken from her and she was powerless to stop it. For all of her status and all of her magic, nothing could make him choose her.

A knock on the door startled her. Standing up straight, a flash of hope blazed. Was it Robin, come to tell her he'd changed his mind and that he couldn't live without her?

"Mom? You in there?"

No, it was Henry, who was supposed to be spending the day with his grandparents and new uncle. She wiped the tears from her cheeks with trembling hands and took several deep breaths, collecting herself before opening the door.

"Henry, what are you doing here?" she asked as he walked into the room.

"We were out taking a walk. I saw Robin leaving the building and he looked pretty awful so I thought I'd come check on you." He looked up at her, his eyes full of concern. "Are you okay?"

As she returned his gaze she felt her composure slip once again. She didn't want to lie to both of the men that she loved in one day. She pulled him into a hug and let the tears flow anew.

"No, I'm not." They stood, embracing, as she let out the anguish she'd been holding inside since the moment she'd heard Robin utter Marian's name at Granny's.

"But I will be, as long as I have you."


End file.
